August 2013 Surgeries

Speedy recovery to you Babs! I am sorry for all of these complications and pain!

Lisa, How have you been feeling? You finished your last A/C correct? Now to get through the side effects and move on to Taxol?

Has anyone had, or scheduled, exchange surgery yet? I had my final fill this week, and go for my consult 12/23. Surgery should be around the end of January.

Im still hanging around, lurking more than posting lately. Im done with fills- at 400 left, 500 right, will exchange on Jan 10 to 300/400 anatomical gummies. Feel good- on anastrazole, really no se I think...take generic zoloft to help with hot flashes, and I think after about 12 weeks it is helping. I notice in the last week that they have stopped. I wish I could figure if they have stopped naturally due to past menopause etc, and that I could stop the med as it causes vivid and sometimes bad dreams. But not sure theres any way to know that.

In any case, aside from about a week of bad back and neck pain after last fill, its gone well and Im psyched to get the exchange over with. I feel sad for my fellow Augusties having complications or now going thru chemo, and wish everyone the best.

KBeee - yes, you are correct. Finished final A/C this past Thurs and the SE's hit almost immediately. I'm not a happy person, and quite negative which is why I've kept from posting. Very worried about upcoming Taxol and told my MO on Thurs she can talk till she's blue in the face and I'll still not feel reassured. See, the worst SE's w/ the A/C are fatigue and flu like symptoms...the 2 symptoms they say are often worse with Taxol. She knows my reservations and has finally said "let's wait and see - we'll get you thru this". Well, we all know what that means...no reassurance there. I've attempted to be positive but chemo for me has been cumulative and has been worse each time.

I understand there is hope that I may not feel as bad w/Taxol - but that hope is minimal but I could be surprised.

Wish I could have said something more positive there...but you all know me well enough to know I say it as it is...

I'm a little behind on my fills; but should only need 2 more. They put in 350 expanders and said they can expand up to 100 above that limit which is their intent. They asked what size I'd like to end up at and I said "a full B cup would be fine" - so they said they are going to fill to 450 - IF I can tolerate it. And I can do it in little intervals; chemo won't be complete until end of January so exchange can't happen until April'ish timeframe so I can take my time w/the remaining fills.

I want to hear all about everyone elses exchanges, though! I've complained about my expanders riding so high and towards the armpits I can't even wear a regular bra because the tight buldges on my chest are not pliable to fill out my bras. I have to wear tube tops and I found an old demi bra of my daughters from years ago that works somewhat (these things are just so far out from center I've no clue what type of pocket is going to be there for the final silicone implants!) PS assured me things will be fine. Has anyone else had problems like this?

Babs - I'm glad you're taking your pain meds as directed. Extended pain is a bad thing and hampers healing...none of us likes having to take pain pills but they are needed and should be taken when one is in pain. I cannot imagine being opened 3 times on one side either - good golly, that has to hurt and I feel for you! I do hope you are recovering well otherwise; any idea when you get to go home?

Lisa, I know that with the exception of one person, all the ladies on the September chemo board had a much easier time with Taxol. My 3 friends I know where I live who have had BC and done AC-T also had an easier time with Taxol. Are you doing weekly, or every 2 weeks? I hope the Taxol is easier for you.

Avila. So glad all is going well for you!!!

Lisa I was done as an outpatient so went right home. Had my drain out on Tuesday so feeling good just tired. Don't worry about the Taxol. It's soooooomuch easier than the AC. I!!!!!!!

Babs

Kbee- The surgery was the removal of the left TE-so I'm back to being a uni-boober. Bummed but dealing. I'm hoping the PS will be able to put a very small implant on my left side with fat grafting when he does the implant exchange on the right so I can have a little something on the left. My skin is slightly stretched on the left but with nothing in it there is the possibility of it going back and losing the elasticity. Time will tell!!

And yes, you might have drains again Yucky!! Not sure if they place them on the exchange or not?????

Babs

Karen

No bigee! My brain is always fried lately!!!!

Exchange for me Jan 10= 3 weeks from today. Will be glad to have it over, tho the te really dont bother me too much.  So far so good on the anastrozole, fingers crossed no se develop.

Quick update.  My right side is closed. Left side closed but re-opened a small amount - size of half a penny - last Sunday night. 

I'm doctor-free for at least a few weeks. Then they will decide if I need more surgery in which case,  I'll be faced with losing the small amount that is left, including the nipples. The original surgery was a success for the DCIS but recent tests show more invasive that has come up since August surgery.  

So I'll find out in the new year what the next step will be. 

For those of you who celebrate Christmas,  I wish you a Merry Christmas and hope you have a nice relaxing week. 

All the 

you're getting there Pam. I'm glad it is a bit easier now. Pooplemum, glad your wounds are close to closed but so sorry to hear about the possibility of invasion. Sheesh.

Baba, i hope you get culture results soon so you know what to expect. Sure seems endless with all the twists and turns in this journey.

Hope everyone else is doing ok. XO

so sorry Poodlemum, you can'seem to,catch a break.  Did the pathology say what type the lumps are?

Such bad timing too. I'm sure it will make it hard to enjoy christmas. . Hang in there.  Will be thinking of you and hoping for a speedy resolution to the new occurence. XO

Thanks guys.  I just thought that when I heard those words "all clear" - it meant I would be fine. At first we thought it might be new seromas but tests show they aren't.  The good thing is that the x-rays are clear so it's in the remaining breast tissue.  I had nipple-sparing so I guess there must have been some cells that weren't discovered or something.  Still lots to wrap my head around and nothing to do now until wait for the new year. I'm just starting to regain some of my appetite and they said they won't risk doing surgery until they feel confident that I'm healthy enough to go through everything. 

So it's a waiting game.  I guess with the x-ray and ultrasounds they've found it is contained in the one area and not spread.  So that's good.  

Anyways,  thanks for your support and I'll just wait things out and get stronger to be able to handle the next step.  

Despite this "setback", I'm glad I did do the nipple-sparing first.  If I hadn't,  I would have spent the next 40 years wondering if that would have been enough.  So now I need to come to terms with losing the 

Merry Christmas to all those here who celebrate and Happy holidays to all. Thank you for coming into my life. You have made such a huge difference and given me hope for the future. xo

I would like to thank all of you for your kind words,  support and prayers.  It's funny,  despite going through this before,  I'm scared about what's to come next.  I'm finally getting into being able to eat real food although I still have to use my shakes occasionally.  I'm still in pain from this recovery and remember quite well how bad things were the first time re: pain.  All the work they did to save my nipples and now I'm faced with the likelihood of losing them.  I will not be having any reconstruction.  Whatever I look like will stay that way. I'll make sure I'm much more careful and slower to try things than before. 

I know this is not extremely quick growing or they would have already had me in there.  They want it healed and get me healthier before they'll go back in.  

Apparently the nipple sparing method wasn't the best because there were break away cells that they did not find at the time of surgery - everything seemed contained with straight forward DCIS.  

My family can't handle it but stand by me of course.  I sometimes wonder if I should have gone this route the first time. My doc asked me 3 times that day before I went into surgery.  After surgery he was confident that I had made the right choice for me.  I am glad I had this chance to keep my breasts to a certain degree.  I'm not completely flat cheated.  He said he couldn't give them any shape because there wasn't much left.  

I'm not sure if I'm scared because I know I'll lose my nipples or because I know what the general recovery period will be like or if it's the waiting and anxiety to get well enough to have this done. 

In any case,  thanks for letting me vent.  All I pray for is that by next year at this time,  I will be healed and healthy.